


fallen from the sky, and then through it

by blackkat



Series: Horoscope Drabbles [46]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Rescue, past imprisonment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 07:25:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17576471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: “Are you sure you want to go that way?” Itama asks.





	fallen from the sky, and then through it

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Normal Horoscopes on Tumblr:
> 
> Aries: The space between two mountains in the distance. The sky looks different. You can hear the beating of colossal wings.

“Are you sure you want to go that way?” Itama asks.

Izuna doesn’t look at him; he hasn’t for days now. “That’s the gate, isn't it,” he says, and it’s harsh at the edges, cut through with what sounds like irritation but is really desperation. He’s been getting worse, and Itama has to swallow, has to turn his face back towards the looming peaks ahead of them. Two mountains, steep and foreboding, and the sky between them is wrong. Like a puzzle with all the wrong pieces filled into that spot, and everything else as it’s meant to be.

“There might not be anything to find,” he says, because he has to. Izuna has never listened to him before, but he can't stop trying.

“So scared of going home, Senju?” Izuna asks, biting, but he resettles his pack and keeps walking.

Itama can hear the wingbeats, vast and heavy, like thunder from a clear sky. He wonders if Izuna can hear the same thing, but—he doubts it.

“No,” he answers, quietly, evenly. “It doesn’t scare me. But it should scare you.”

Izuna scoffs, tipping his head back as he surveys the sky. “We don’t have to climb the mountain, right?” is all he asks.

It’s worse than taking with Tobirama at his most avoidant. Itama rolls his eyes a little, but shakes his head, stepping up beside Izuna to point at the stretch of water cutting between the two peaks. “I can take you through the river. That’s the safest way, as long as we go at night. The sentinels will notice if we’re in the air.”

“You say that like you could even manage to fly and carry me at the same time,” Izuna retorts, exasperated. “I think the _last_ gorge we had to cross proved otherwise.”

Itama doesn’t bother protesting that he’s barely more than a fledgling by dragon terms, or that his years chained up in Tajima's court as a prize didn’t help. Looks down, instead, and can't help but rub at the scars around his wrists, carved deep into the skin by the manacles Izuna only managed to remove a few weeks ago.

There's a rough sigh, then a step. Izuna turns, coming to a sharp halt, and catches Itama's hand, pulling it away from his wrist. “Don’t,” he says, and it’s softer this time. “They're already bad enough, don’t make them worse.” His gaze flickers down to the scars, too, though, and he grimaces, letting go of Itama carefully. “The river will be fine. You can swim even if you can't fly, right?”

Itama nods, but before Izuna can pull away he grabs the edge of his sleeve, stopping him. “Izuna,” he says, and maybe that’s a little desperate, too. “You can leave right now. You don’t have to take me all the way home. The gate is right there, and I’ll be fine. Your brother needs you—”

Izuna's breath is ragged. “My brother is in love with your brother,” he retorts. “And he’s waging a war on our father because of it. But if our father has you, it’s over. I have to make _sure_ you get back to your lands in one piece, before he can do anything to you.”

Something in Itama's chest twists, aches. Izuna was kind to him when Itama was trapped in the Uchiha palace, kinder than most. He brought books, and stayed to talk, sneaked him sweets and fresh fruit and softer blankets. And, as soon as the opportunity came, he smuggled Itama out of the palace, even knowing his father would likely have him executed for the betrayal.

Making sure that Tajima can't use him as leverage over Hashirama is only one reason for this, Itama is sure. Izuna wouldn’t be so desperate to face Tobirama and offer recompense for Itama's imprisonment if all he wanted was a pawn out of Tajima's hands.

Leaning forward on his tiptoes, Itama catches Izuna's face between his hands, kisses him quick and gentle and careful on the lips, and smiles at him. “Thank you,” he says, and then, “I promise, I won't let them hurt you.”

Izuna laughs, a little ragged, but his hands settle on Itama's waist, pull him right up against his chest as he wraps his arms around him. “You should hate me,” he says hoarsely, and his shaky breath is warm in Itama's hair. “My father—”

“Isn't you,” Itama finishes fiercely. “You set me _free_ , Izuna.”

There's a long moment of silence, and then Izuna laughs. He kisses Itama's forehead, but doesn’t even try to draw back. “I hope you're willing to tell your family that,” he says. “Because I'm a good swordsman, but facing down a whole clan of dragons might be slightly above even my prodigious capabilities.”

Itama doesn’t bother telling him that it’s not just one clan of dragons, seeing as the Uzumaki and the Hyuuga will almost certainly step in as well once they realize Itama was kidnapped, rather than killed. “Of course I will,” he says instead, and rests a hand on the nape of Izuna's neck, over his silken hair. Says softly, because he can't _not_ , “Even once they know I'm alive, I'm not leaving you, Izuna. I'm going to stay with you, no matter what.”

The grip of Izuna's arms is bruising-tight, and he doesn’t answer, but the breath against Itama's hair shakes like relief.


End file.
